Lion King III: The Lost Cub
by Whatever You Call Me
Summary: Simba notices a young lion lurking in the land. He finds out who this is...and he doesn't know how.
1. Chapter 1: Strange Sights of a Ghost

**Lion King 3: The Lost Cub**

**Chapter 1: Strange Sights of a Ghost**

Simba stretches himself as he got out of the cave, waking up as soon as the sun rises.

The wind is even today, he thought. He went down the stair-like rocks so he could drink water near the watering hole. After he drank, he saw a lion far away from the watering hole with a red mane, and the lion was already full-grown.

"Father?" He ran from the watering hole to try and chase the unknown lion. The unknown lion turned around and was walking away, he fastens his pace. "Wait for me!"

The lion disappeared, and Simba slowed down. Who was this mysterious lion? Was it Mufasa? Was he still alive, regardless of the fact he's dead? He wanted to find out, but how? The lion disappeared.

"Simba, what are you looking at?" Nala came to him after waking up.

"Uh, nothing. Did you have a good sleep?" He asked, Nala rubbing her head at his chin.

"Yes, I did. What about you?"

"Couldn't have a better one." He heard Nala's soft purr. "When's the hunt going to start?"

"Later, after most of the lionesses wake up." She explained, staring at the skies with Simba.

"You know, I saw a lion earlier." Simba explained, looking down to face Nala.

"Really? An intruder?" Nala stood up.

"I thought so, but his scent wasn't anything unfamiliar. Like he is joined in the Pride Lands. And his mane… is red. Not that I'm saying only we have red manes, but he looked very familiar. I was wondering if he was—"

"If he was Mufasa? Then that would mean we have a ghost lurking in the Pride Lands?"

"Yes, precisely as I was thinking." Simba stood up to face Nala, "what if there was a ghost?"

"Let's see. If one of the lionesses see the same, then we do. If not, then we don't."

After their short conversation, the rest of the lionesses woke up and were ready to hunt. They began the hunting, Simba patrolling across the Pride Lands.

"Why did it take you long to wake up? You missed the other lionesses."

"I was very tired." Kiara explained.

"All you did yesterday was walk the same path, and you didn't even hunt!"

"Yeah, I actually didn't."

Kiara sat near the watering hole, daring Kovu to scare her dad. And that would be a foolish thing to do.

"There he is!" She pointed at Simba.

"Well, I'll go there, then!" Kovu ran to the nearest hiding place near Simba.

"Hey, Kiara, what are you doing?" Simba asked.

"Dared Kovu to scare you—wait! If you're here…then who's the other lion?"

"What other lion?"

"I saw a lion near the river…"

Kovu returned with a frown, "Simba wasn't there. Are you kidding me?"

"You saw it too, huh?" Simba murmured, but neither did Kiara nor Kovu hear it.

Simba was confused because of the lion lurking in the Pride Lands. He couldn't concentrate on patrolling to see if anyone was trespassing the Pride Lands.

He returned to Pride Rock a minute before sundown, his head below the clouds.

"Simba," Nala called from the lying Simba at the cliff of Pride Rock. He was still wondering.

"Simba!" Simba looked around to see Nala, with eyes of confusion.

"It's time to sleep. Aren't you joining us?" Nala asked, doubting if he'll say yes and sleep.

Simba blinked, tiredness showing through his eyes, "yeah, I think so."

He stood up, and then waited for Nala to enter. She did so, smiling at him.

He was still wondering about the lion.

"_Father! Don't run away from me!" He yelled out to Mufasa._

_The lion stopped, and then looked around to see him. He smiled, and then walked to the blazing sun._

"Father!" He yelled out, waking all of the lionesses.

"Simba, are you okay?" Nala asked, Kiara and Kovu going to his side.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Simba's breathing was fast.

"We need to find that lion, do we?" Nala finally asked him.

"Yes. And this time, let's hope we catch him."

As lionesses gathered and was prepared to run around the Pride Lands for the mysterious lion with a red mane, Simba sighs as Nala and Kiara disappeared, as well as Kovu. Though there could be a lot of lions with red manes, Simba felt that he knew this one, as if they were connected. As if they were one.

"Hey, Simba!" Timon yelled, as he and Pumbaa got near Pride Rock.

"Hey, Timon, Pumbaa, if you encounter any lion with a red mane, and he doesn't walk away, I want you, Timon, to come there and we will catch him. He is not me, nor is he any of us." Simba ordered the two.

"Yes, your Majesty!" Timon and Pumbaa searched as well.

An hour later, the group returned with almost no success, but Nala trapped the lion from escaping. He was younger than Nala or Simba, taking out his chance as Mufasa. But he was older than Kiara and Kovu, so he could be anyone now.

"Good job, Nala." The other lionesses was amazed by what Nala did to trap him. They almost gave up and was about to return, when suddenly there was a roar. Nala had called the others to corner him.

"Dad, you should've seen how mom handled the situation! She used her senses very well, then we caught the one you're looking for." Kiara was just as amazed as the others. Kovu was grinning, obviously amazed as well.

"It was nothing. I just saw him and I thought sneaking behind him was better." Nala explained.

Some of the lionesses was unable to compliment, for their teeth were plunged into the young lion's fur.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Simba demanded from the young lion.

"I want to return." The lion admitted, looking honest.

"We do not remember a red mane lion existing in our lands these current years, other than me. Who are you?" He demanded again.

"I am..."

"Who?'

"I am Kopa."


	2. Chapter 2: Reunion

**Chapter 2: Reunion**

"Ko...Kopa? Don't lie to me. Kopa has been dead ever since," he growled at the young lion.

"Who's Kopa?" Kiara asked her mother.

"Well...he...is your dead older brother."

"I won't know who Kopa is if I wasn't him. I bet my life I am Kopa!"

"Don't speak of lies!"

"Then why do I look like you?" He asked Simba. Simba didn't have any explanations why, though.

"If you were Kopa...just if you were...then you may prove to us that you are."

The lionesses stared at him, waiting for him to show a way.

"Look at me." All laid their eyes onto Kopa. "Good. Now look at my father."

Whispers came from the group, some say, "He looks more like Mufasa than Simba. Can this mean?"

Simba waited for an answer. "Well, do we look alike?"

The other lionesses nodded. Simba looked at Kopa, his eyes widened. "How did you live?"

"Some other lions took me to some place then taught me. They trained me to fight, as well as training me to know what is right and what is wrong."

"Kopa! How we missed you!" Nala went to her son, nuzzling him as he nuzzled back.

"Why didn't you return?" Simba was still full of questions.

"I couldn't find a way home. I was scared, but the two lions told me to remain calm, and that they will lead me there when I was grown up..."

-Flashback-

"_You see, to survive alone means to be very careful for what you decide, it could be your death." The oldest of the two said, showing the cub ways to survive._

"_Father, isn't it fun training him?" The youngest of the two said, grinning. "Kopa, you have a big life ahead of you. Even if your parents cannot find you anymore, you will meet them someday."_

"_But for how long? I miss them. I want to be with them soon!"_

"_You will, just not now. Someday."_

-End of Flashback-

"Father and son took care of you?" Simba asked. He couldn't do anything else but ask.

"Yes. They were friendly lions indeed, they said they 'left their pride and lived on their own.'"

"Simba, since we found out that Kopa is alive, doesn't that make him...?"

"Heir. I know. He is the heir." Simba sighed and announced.

"Wow, your parents didn't tell you you had a older brother," whispered Kovu to Kiara.

"I know. Maybe there's a story in it... I just have to ask mom."

"That makes Kopa the heir, and not Kiara." Simba looked at Kiara, who was talking to Kovu.

"Did you know you had a sister?"

"Oh, yes, the two lions told me so. One of them attended her ceremony, actually."

"What? How did they attend Kiara's ceremony?" Simba was curious.

"They just said they were going to go." Kopa shrugged.

"Enough of the questions. Kopa, you should rest. And, do you want to take a walk with me?"

"Sure, dad." Kopa replied.

Simba found his resemblance was between him and Mufasa. His muscular figure was similar to Mufasa's, his red mane was like Simba's, only longer. His eyes, as usual, were red. He was just smaller by a bit compared to Mufasa, making him even with Simba.

As Kopa waited for night, he was playing with a pebble on the ground. Kovu decided to talk to him.

"Hey," he greeted, going near Kopa.

"Hello." Kopa stopped to look at Kovu.

"Waiting for the sun to come down so you could meet with Simba, right?"

"Yeah, and it's getting kind of long. I thought waiting for sundown will be like sleeping." He sighed, pushing the pebble away.

"So, you're older than Kiara?" He asked.

"Yeah, I suppose. I was born first, after all." He grinned at Kovu. Kovu grinned back.

"You're the heir. That leaves us out of the maturity line!" Kovu pointed out.

"Maturity line?" Kopa looked at Kovu with questioning eyes.

"We don't need to be King and Queen for now!" Kovu explains.

"Well, being King isn't always easy. You have to fight for you pride, and sacrifice your life for the pride. But as you are King, you realize that you will learn lessons from it, and mature." Kopa explains as well.

Simba observed from above Pride Rock, examining Kopa.

"You seem like you'll be good at it." Kovu replied.

"It just depends on how you'll think of it, and you really will learn from your mistake."

Simba smiled. He was reminded of Mufasa, and how he talked like Mufasa.

"You seem to be spying on Kopa, Simba." Nala approached him and greeted him.

"He resembles me and my father. I am impressed. He will make a great King."

"Who wouldn't?"

"I want to know who trained him and protected him. I will congratulate them with anything they wish," Simba said.

"Can you tell me your story? It seems to be interesting." Kovu sat down.

"Okay. It will be a long one, since it had been years."

-Flashback-

"_Dad? Where are you?" The young cub yelled at the dessert. He was lost again, this time, scared of what his father will do to him if he knew he was going to places where he could get lost and die._

"_Dad!" He yelled again. There were no more ventures here, not willing to kidnap him to listen to that awful singing._

_He was sure he would die alone in the big dessert._

_He fainted, due to the heat._

_He woke up, accompanied by two lions in a shaded area._

"_Son, are you alright? Are you injured?" The youngest asked him._

"_D-dad?" He asked the youngest._

"_No, I am not your dad." The youngest explained. "Answer my question. Are you alright?"_

"_Yeah, I'm alright..."_

"_Good. We will take you to a healing spot where you can gain energy and I want you to join us," the oldest grinned at the youngest._

"_Join you? In what?"_

"_Training. It will be very easy-"_

-End of Flashback-

"Kopa! Would you like to take the walk now? It's almost sundown."

"Huh?" Kopa looked up. "Oh, sure, dad."

Simba leads the way, Kopa following him.

"Do you know the Great Kings of the Past?"

"Yes, dad."

"The Circle of Life?"

"Memorized it." 

"What don't you know, then?" Simba asked, amused at how he knew everything.

"Nothing."

Simba was surprised. He never told Kopa any of it, since he disappeared when he was still young.

"Kopa, what did the two lions who helped you looked like?" Another search party was in Simba's mind. Thanking them for the return of his heir is very likely. As Mufasa said, all debts must be returned.

"They had red manes as well. The two were muscular, like me. Shows they both handled the same training."

Simba wondered who these two were. He was slightly suspicious, but it ended realizing that it couldn't possibly be his father.

"I miss the Pridelands. It's been long since I was last here. What changed?"

"Well, Kiara was the heir, until you returned. Lionesses from the Outlands have joined with us. Do you think you are ready to be King now, Kopa?" Simba asked. His time as King was falling, and he is sure to die from an attack if he stayed as King for any longer.

"I'm ready for what the world can throw at me." Kopa replied, looking at the stars. "I wonder what it feels like to watch from the skies. Not that I'm saying I want to die early as King, but I want to know what they feel."

The two returns an hour later, to sleep from tiredness.

"Man, I'm tired," Kopa stretched. "I'm gonna sleep early."

"Wake up early tomorrow, the lionesses will decide if it's your time as King."


End file.
